Telautograph



(No Model.)

- Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. GRAY. TBLAUTOGRAPH.

Patented Oct. 20, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. GRAY. TELAUTOGRAPH.

No. 461,473. Patented Oct. 20, 1891..

we nonms FEYERS 120., mom-0010., \VASHiNGTCN, n. c.

tion of the transmitting-pen.

UNITED STATES- PATENT O FICE.

ELISHA GRAY, or HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

TELAUTOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,473, dated October20, 1891.

Original application filed September 17, 1889, Serial No. 324,232.Divided and this application filed August 13, 1890. Serial No. 361,935.(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISHA GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing atIIighland Park, county of Lake, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improveinents in Tel-autographs, fullydescribed and representedin the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

My present invention relates to apparatus for use in the art oftel-autographic communication, and is a division of my application,Serial No. 324,2 2, filed September 17, 1889. In the said formerapplication a complete organization of apparatus for telautographiccommunication is shown and described, and I make reference to thatapplication for a description of those parts of the organization notclaimed herein, and with which (as well as with other forms ofapparatus) my present invention may be used. In a telautographicinstrument such as that to which my improvement relates motion is givento the receiving-pen by means of power derived from a motor, a revolvingshaft, a weight, or other power mechanism or force hereinaftergenerically designated as a prime motor, independent as regards itssource'of power of the transmitting-instrument, but controlled orgoverned in the application of its power to .the receiving-pen from thetransmitting-instrument. In order to provide for a reversal of thedirection of motion of the receiving-pen in correspondence with reversalof direction of motion of the transmitting-pen, itis necessary tointerpose between the prime motor and the receiving-pen a reversingmechanism also controlled from the transmitting-station. The mechanismfor this purpose described and claimed in the said former applicationconsists of a set of magnet-weights, one set for each of thetwocrosswise directions of mo- Each of these sets consists of twomagnet-clutch weights, each weight being suspended from a disk mountedupon the prime-motor shaft andarranged to be clutched to that shaft atproper intervals to raise the weight. Each of the said magnet-clutchweight-s is also connected to the drum from which the receiving-pen isdriven through the agency of the magnetic clutch in such mannerthat theyalternately act upon the said drum to drive it inalternately-oppositedirections.

My present invention consists in a substitute for this reversingmechanism of the same general character, but so organized that greatersimplicity of construction and certaintyofoperation and durability ofparts are secured.

In the drawings annexed to the specification, and which illustrate myinvention, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved reversing mechanism.Fig. 2 is a section upon an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2 2 ofFig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, on the line 3 3of Fig. 1; and Fig; 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 to the left of the motor constitutes theimproved device as applied to that side of the receiving-instrumentwhich responds to one of the-two crosswise movements of thetransmitting-pen. The other side of the receiving-instrument is providedwith a duplicate of this apparatus.

Each of these sets of devices contains two clutch-magnets X Y,respectively, which are duplicates of each other. One of theseclutchmagnets Y. is shown in section in Fig. 2, and

will now be described.

The magnetic core 1 has at one end a chamher 3 and at the other end anextension 2, about which is placed an insulating bushing 4, which inturn carries a brass ring 5, which serves as a bearing for acontact-spring and is connected with the magnet-coil. The usual disk 6,of soft iron, supports the soft-iron shell 7 of the magnet at its outerend, forming with the core-shell and a non-magnetic disk 8, sup.-porting the inner end of the shell 7, the inclosed space in which thecoil is wound. The disk 8 will preferably be of hard rubber. Vithin therecess 3 is a stop 9 fast on the shaft 21, and'between this and a secondstop 10, also fastupon the shaft,is placed so as to have but a veryslight endwise p1ay,a brass sleeve 11, free to rotate upon the shaft andprovided with friction-bearings12. The preferred material of thisbearing 12 is vulcanized fiber treated with. boiling paraffine-wax,which effects the elimination of all moisture and the filling of thepores of the fiber with out lubrication.

paraffine, making a good bearing to run with- The sleeve 11 carries onits outer end a hard-rubber disk 13, rigid with the sleeve, and justwithin this a pulley 14, also of hard rubber, is journaled upon thesleeve, being also provided with a loose friction-bearin g, preferablyof the material above described. Between the pulley 14 and the end ofthe magnet is a non-magnetic disk 15, preferably hard rubber, and unitedto it is a soft-iron disk 16, the two together forming a pulley andtheformer being provided with a pin 17, which passes into a shortlongitudinal slot 18 in the sleeve 11. (SeeFig. 2.) The disks 15 16 arealso provided with a frictionbearing upon sleeve 11, preferably of thema terial before described, and have a slight longitudinal movement withreference to the sleeve, limited by contact with the shell 7 and core 1upon one side and pulley 14 upon the other. On the inner end of thesleeve 11 is fixed a collar 19, and between this collarand the face ofthe disk 15 is compressed a spring 20, which tends to force the disk outfrom the clutch-magnet. The iron disk 16 servesas an armature for themagnet, and when the coils of the magnet are excited the disk is tweenthe disks 13 and 15.

drawn up against the tension of spring 20 until it comes into contactwith the end of shell 7 and core 1, the rubber disk'15 being withdrawnfrom contact with the pulley 14. In this position it is held fast andrevolves with the magnet and shaft, carrying with it the sleeve 11 byreason of the engagement of the pin 17 therewith. The pulley 14 is now,however, unclam pod, and isleft free to revolve in either direction uponthe sleeve 11. WVhen there is no current passing through the coils ofthe clutch-magnet, the disk 16 is pushed back by the spring 20 andclamps the pulley 14 be- The sleeve 11 and all parts mounted on it arethen free to revolve in either direction, carrying with them the pulley14. This may be considered the normal condition of these parts. Thesetwo clutch-magnets are placed facing each other upon a shaft 21,journaled in suitable bearings. For convenience it will be consideredthat the magnet above described is the lefthand magnet in Fig. 1, and Iwill apply the primes of the same numbers used for designating thevarious parts to the corresponding parts of the right-hand magnet. Toeach of the pulleys 14 14 is attached a cord 22 22, these cords passingto opposite sides of the drum 23, and being fastened thereto. T theopposite side of each of the pulleys 14 14 from that to which the cords22 22 are respectively attached is fixed one end of a cord 24, (see Fig.3,) which passes about an idle Wheel 25,

which is journaled between the forks of the Y-shaped support 26, theshank of which passes through abracket 27 and is held in position by aspring 28, resting at one end upon the bracket and at the other upon anut 29 upon the end of the shank. This spring serves to keep the cords24, 22, and 22 always under tension. Within the spring 28, and about theshank of the support 26, is a sleeve 30, which serves to prevent anypossible simultaneous winding .of both of the ends of the cord 24 uponthe pulleys 14 14' by reason of the pulleys being simultaneously grippedbetween thei respective disks 15 and 13, or by reason of frictionbetween their bearings and sleeve 11. Should such double Winding -of thecords 24'begin, the spring 28 will be slightly compressed, but speedilythe nut will come in contact with the lower end of the sleeve 30,preventing the further advance of the support 26, and consequentlychecking the double Winding of the cords 24. To each of the disks 15 andin a groove formed for that purpose is fixed a cord 31, to the lower endof which is attached a weight 32. The shaft 21, which carries theclutch-magnetsis not made continuous in this construction with the shaftdriven by the motor. It carries upon its inner end a soft-iron disk 33,which normally stands in close proximity to the ends of the core andshell of a clutchmagnet D, this latter magnet being fast upon themotor-driven shaft 34. This magnet is shown in cross-section in Fig. 4.The core of the magnet is madeof soft iron and is bored out of such asize as to allow the shaft 34 (which is preferably of brass) to slipinto the hole and fit tightly therein. The head 47 of the magnet-spoolnearest the disk 33 is made of non-magnetic material, such as hardrubber, and the outer shell or covering 48 is made of soft iron as isalso the head 49 farthest from the disk. The ends of the outer shell andof the core next to the disk project forward slightly beyond the head 47and come into contact with the disk 33, this disk constituting anarmature for the magnet. The disk 33 is keyed on the shaft 21, and has aslight play endwise of the shaftto enable it to be drawn up against theends of the magnet-core and shell when the magnet is energized.

The circuit connections are as follows: From the local battery 0 thecurrent passes through wire a and branches through wire a, shaft 34, thecoil of magnet D, one end of which is in electrical connection withshaft 34, brush 35, wire a, circuit-breaking switch 36, plate 37,circuit-breaking switch 38, and wire u to battery. The other branch ofthe circuit passes through the wire .90 to shaft 21, where it againdivides, to the coils of magnets X Y, respectively, one end of each ofwhich through brush 42, and by the wire 00 to stop 43 and armature 41 ofmagnet J, and thence to battery. The cords 31 31 pass, respectively,through the slotted ends of the circuitbreaking springs 38 and 36, andare provided with knots 44 44', so placed as tocome in contact with theends of the springs 38 and 36, respectively, and raise the one or theother, as the case may be, out of contact with plate 37, therebybreaking the circuit of magnet D. It will be observed that this circuitis dependent upon the contact of both of these springs with plate 37,and consequently will be interrupted by the elevation of either of them.From these connections it is obvi ous that the circuit of the battery 0will be closed through magnet D at all times, except when the circuit isinterrupted by one of the two knots 44 44, coming in contact with andraising one or the other of the springs 38 36, and that the circuit ofthe battery 0' will always be closed through one or the other, but

not at the same time through both of .the magnets X Y, the position ofthe armature of magnet J determining which one of these clutch-magnetsis energized. Therefore a reversal in the reversing-circuit 8 will causethe circuit from the battery o to be shifted from one of the magnets X Yto the other. It will be observed that when either of theseclutch-magnets is de-energized the whole structure mounted upon thesleeve 11, and which is then collectively rigid, will be revolved by itsweight and give to the drum 23, through the medium of cord 22, a motionof revolution with it, It will also be observed that when either ofthese clutch-magnets is energized and attracts its armature-disk 16 itbecomes active to elevate its weight 32, and its pulley 14 is meanwhilefree to revolve, so as not to resist the tendency of the opposed weightto give motion to the drum 23.

The operation of these devices is as follows: Supposing the current onthe reversing-circuit to be of such polarity as to cause the armature ofthe magnet J to rest against stop 43, the circuit of battery 0 will passthrough clutch-magnet X, clutch-magnet Y being cut out. of circuit.Pulley 14 will therefore be clutched fast to its sleeve 11 and will berotated under the pull of weight 32, thereby giving a tendency to drum23 to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Thedisk 15 of magnet X willrevolve with the magnet X and wind up its Weight32. The pulley 14' will be free to revolve in either direction upon thesleeve 11, and therefore will be drawn by the cord 22, so as to revolvetoward the drum 23. As soon as the weight 32 is raised high enough tobring the will continue thus vibrating until the circuit connections arereversed and it is permitted to descend, giving motion to the pulley 14.Change of polarity in the-circuit e consequent upon a reversal of thedirection of motion of the transmitting-pen (as fully described in theapplication of which this is a division) shifts the circuit of battery 0to the clutch-magnet Y, cutting out magnet X. Theposition of the partsas now reversed is as follows: The pulley 14 is clutched to its sleeve11, has become operative to give a motion to drum 23 in a directionopposite to that indicated by the arrow under the pull of Weight 32. Thepulley 14 is unclamped and free to revolve, and the disk 15 and magnet Yare performing the function of raising the weight 32. It should beobserved that While the magnetizable metallic surfaces of magneticclutches, as X, Y, and D, may be in actual contact, I

find that in practice it is preferable, in order to prevent sticking ordemagnetization, to face one or both of the adjacent metallic surfaceswith a layer of non-magnetic material, as parchment. The unison-stopsemployed in this case are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and consist of a pinor projection 45 from each of the pulleys 14 and a fixed stop 46, placedin w the path of each of the pins 45. The total movement of thereceiving-pen in each of its two crosswise directions corresponds to amovement of the corresponding pulley 14 a little less than an entirerevolution, each pulley 14 being free to revolve in either directionuntil its pin 45 comes in contact with one side or the other of its stop46.

As stated in the application of which this is a division, I mean hereinby the term transmitting-pen either a writing-instrument of any sort ora simple handle of convenient form to be grasped by the operator andmoved to describe the outline of the characters; and by the termreceiving-pen I mean to indicate any sort of Writing-instrument capableof recording a character received, whether or not it employs awriting-fluid; also, as stated in the said former application, themovements necessary to reproduce the message, instead of being impartedto the receiving-pen, may be wholly or in part imparted to the paper;

IIO

and it is therefore to be understood that a recording-surface movablefor the purpose of recording characters is, for the purposes of thisapplicatiomthe equivalent of a movable governing the said connectingmechanism,

and acting thereby to alternately cause the weight to be raised and thedriven mechanism to be moved, substantially as described.

2; The combination of a receiving-pen or other driven mechanism, aWeight for giving movement to the driven mechanism, a shaft, mechanismfor rotating the shaft to raise the weight, and electrically-controlledmechanism mounted on the shaft for connecting the weight alternately tothe shaft and to the driven mechanism, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a receiving-pen or other dl'iven mechanism, aweight for giving movement to the driven mechanism, a shaft, mechanismfor rotating the shaft to raise the weight, a pulley on the shaft fromwhich the weight is suspended, a pulley on the shaft connected with thedriven mechanism, a clutchmagnet, and mechanism controlled by theclutch-magnet to connect the weight-pulley alternately to the shaft andto the pulley con-- nected with the driven mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of a receiving-pen or other driven mechanism, aweight for giving movement to the driven mechanism, mechanism forraising the weight, mechanism for connecting the weight alternately tothe Weight-raising mechanism and to the driven mechanism, amagnetically-controlled clutch controlling the connecting mechanism, andacting thereby to alternately cause the weight to be raised and thedriven mechanism to be moved, and means for automatically arresting theoperation of the weight-raisingmechanism when the weight has. beenraised to a sufficient height, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a receiving-pen or other driven mechanism, aweight for giving movementto the driven mechanism, mechanism for raisingthe weight, mechanism for connecting the weight alternately to theweight-raising mechanism and. to the driven mechanism, and amagneticallycontrolled clutch controlling the said connecting mechanism,thereby to alternately cause the weight to be raised and the drivenmechanism to be moved, and a second clutch, as D, controlling theoperation of the weight-raising mechanism and provided with connections,whereby it operates to automatically arrest the operation of theweight-raising mechanism when the Weight has been raised to a sufficientheight, substantially as described.

6. In a telautographic system,the combination of a receiving-pen, twoweights for giving movement to the receiving-pen respectively indifferentdirectio-ns, mechanism for raising the weights, mechanism forconnecting the weights alternately with the receiving-pen and theweight-raising mechanism, and two electric-ally-controlled clutches forcontrolliu the said connecting mechanisms thereby to cause the twoweights to be alternately raised and the receiving-pen to be alternatelydriven in different directions, substantially as described.

7. In a telautographic system, the combination of a receiving-pen, twoweights for giving movement to the receiving-pen respectively indifferent directions, mechanism for raising the weights, mechanism forconnecting each weight alternately with the receiving-pen and theweight-raising mechanism, and two magnet-clutches controlling the saidconnecting mechanisms thereby to cause the two weights to be alternatelyraised and the receiving-pen to be alternately driven in differentdirections, substantially as described.

8. In a telautographic receiving instrument, the combination of areceiving-pen, a pen-drum connected thereto, two loose pulleys, eachconnected to the drum by a cord, a tension deviceoperating to keep thecords taut, and means for alternately revolving one or the other of thepulleys as one or the other direction of movement of the receiving-penis required, substantially as described.

9. In a telautographic receiving instrument, the combination of areceiving-pen, a pen-drum connected thereto, two loose pulleys, eachconnected to the drum by a cord, two loose pulleys carrying weights, andmeans electrically controlled from the transmittingstation forconnecting one or the other of the pulleys connected to the drum with aweightcarrying pulley, according to the direction of motion required forthe receiving-pen, substantially as described.

10. In a telautographic system, the combination of a receiving-pen, apen-drum with which the pen is connected, a rotatingmotorshaft, twopairs of loose pulleys mounted on the shaft, one pulley of. each paircarrying a weight and the other pulley of each pair being connected withthe pen-drum, and means electrically controlled from thetransmittingstation for alternately connecting each of theweightcarrying pulleys to the motor-shaft and to the other loosepulleyof the pair,whereby the raising of the weights is effected by theshaft and the driving of the receiving-pen is effected by the weights,substantially as described.

11. The combination of the magnet Y, the spring-pressed armature-pulleys15 16, mon nted so as to move to and from the magnet, the sleeve 11, andthe pulley 14, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ELISHA GRAY.

Witnesses:

S. WINTHAL, J. J. KENNEDY.

